“Ante! Oh, my God. Are you okay?” Martina’s distressed voice pierced through the hubbub. By her runny makeup, mussed up hair, and wrinkled clothes, she ran straight from the friend’s couch where she’d crashed. She threw her arms around Ante’s neck and kissed him. “Oh, baby, I didn’t want to believe it’s Mezzaluna, so I had to see it for myself. How could this have happened?”
Ante returned her kisses and hugs. “Yeah, it’s bad.
Most important no one’s hurt.”
Martina halted and pulled back, scanning the thinning crowd. “Wait, where’s Jasmin?”
“She slept so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake her.” Ante flashed a sheepish grin, knowing Martina would freak out in next second.
“What?” She shrieked. “You left her alone in Dario’s penthouse?” Martina slapped her purse on Ante’s arm, her voice rising in pitch and volume. “How can you be so irresponsible? What if she walks out on the balcony?”
Ante cowered under her continuous blows. “She’s not, hey, stop it.”
Dario stepped in, then put his hands on Martina’s shoulders. This has got to be a new record for the two of them to break into a fight. “Relax. She’s in good hands.”
Martina halted, her arm poised high, ready to strike Ante again with her purse. “Err…whose hands?”
“I can’t tell you here, come with us.” Under Dario’s firm hold, Martina’s rigid posture loosened and her shoulders slouched.
“Why can’t you say it? Are you lying? You’d
better not.” Her tone was uncompromising as she stepped away from Dario and sent a narrow-eyed glance to Ante, shoving her index finger in his face. “This time you’ve really done it.”
“You got to be mad to think I’d do anything to endanger our little princess.” Ante strengthened, pulling on the sleeve cuffs of his jacket.
“Come, you lovebirds, we’re wasting time standing here.” The mocking tone in Dario’s voice came out despite his half efforts to hide it. When would the two of them figure out this was love? It didn’t always run smooth, no matter how hard they tried. It was life, not their incompatibilities, but as long as they work at it, their differences would complete them not cause a further rift.
Martina’s heels clicked on the cobbles of the ancient streets and urged Dario to speed up his steps to his car. At least she kept quiet, only huffed now and then, shaking her head at Ante.
The two muscle cars were gone by the time they returned to his Boxster. Ante opened the passenger door of Dario’s two-seater. She flashed him a puzzled look.
“You go on with Dario. I’ll grab a cab.” Ante shrugged.
“Don’t be silly. I can squeeze in the back.” She flipped the backrest of the front seat forward. “It’s tight, but I’ll fit.”
Ante wrapped his arm around her waist. “No, no. You take a comfy seat, and I’ll take the back. You’re worth a bit of discomfort.”
“Fine.” She stepped away, allowing him to the back of the car, then slid into the front seat. “I don’t get you. In one moment you’re the sweetest guy, and in the
next, you piss me off.”
Dario slipped behind the wheel. The last thing he was in the mood for was to listen to his brother and his woman bicker. “If you two don’t stop getting on one another’s case, you’ll be fetching a ride in a cab.”
“I’ll stay quiet.” Ante stretched his lips and made a zip-it motion with his fingers.
Good choice. Dario started the engine and pulled from the parking spot.
Martina squirmed. “Can you tell me now in whose capable hands did you leave my baby? You know she doesn’t take well to strangers.”
Ante leaned forward. “Jasmin is not with strangers. In fact, she took quite well to Ella. The two are like sisters.”
“The girl you brought along last night? She called you her uncle, but I thought it must be one of Dario’s hussies’ kids.”
“Ah,” Ante sighed then shifted his position to the middle of the seat, his head filling the rear-view mirror. Dario clenched his teeth and grinned at Martina. She of all people in town should know he hadn’t been with any of his hussies in a long time.
Martina flipped the visor down and inspected her makeup. “God, I look like sea spit me out. Blah.” She pushed the visor up and turned to Dario. “I have to say, Jasmin was taken by Ella. Who is she?”
Dario tilted the mirror, but couldn’t adjust it to capture the full rear windshield. “Slouch down some more, Ante. Your big head’s preventing me from seeing what’s behind us.” He glanced at Martina from the corner of his eye. “Ella’s my daughter.”
Martina choked on her snort. “No, really, who is
Ella?”
“I’m not joking. She’s mine. Be patient. You’ll discover everything in a minute.”
Martina dug into her purse and pulled out her cell. “This is rich.”
Ante reached from behind and grabbed the phone out of her hand before she could call any of her gossip loving friends.
“Hey!” She twisted in his direction. “Give it back.” Ante held her phone in his open palm. “I know you’re about to start calling around. We must keep this fact under the wraps for now. Once Dario gives you his
go ahead, spread it all you want.”
The sun was high by the time Dario parked in front of his building. Fluffy clouds on a blue sky reflected in a few remaining puddles from last night’s storm. Ante and Martina fell in step with him on the way to the main entrance.
Neighbour Stan huffed under the weight of the black garbage bags in his hands. “Oh, hi, Dario. I heard about your restaurant on the radio. How had it happened?”
Ante and Martina meandered around nosey Stan and headed for the elevator, but Dario couldn’t squeeze his body between the wall and the large bags.
Dario ran his hand over his jaw, stubbles prickling his palm. What he needed were a shower and a shave. If only Stan would move to the side. Since he trapped him in, perhaps a bit of prodding would be in order. After all, his neighbor saw everything and knew as much. “We won’t know until the Fire Marshall investigates. Listen, on the off topic, have you noticed any new faces in the building?”
Stan lowered the garbage bags to the high sheen floor of the foyer. “Now that you mentioned it, yesterday two guys dressed all in black, dark glasses pocked around the building. I asked if they needed help.” He shrugged. “Thought they were lost. But they asked about you.”
Shivers raced down Dario’s spine. Fred’s dogs were on the prowl and had picked up his scent. Maybe he wasn’t the hero he thought he was.
“I told them there’s no one in this building with that name.” Stan slouched to grab the ties of the bags, then halted and tilted his head up toward Dario. “Should I have told them differently?”
“No, you did great. Thank you. Where did they go after that?”
“They got into a car, big SUV with German plates and rental sticker on the rear bumper and drove off.” Stan finally moved out of Dario’s way, giving him access to the elevator.
Black SUV with German plates and rental sticker. What were the odds the cars he’d parked next to and the one Stan had seen the men drove off were two different vehicles? The brass door chimed and the door slid open. “Thanks again, Stan. I owe you one.”
“Saw your woman and her daughter teach Ante’s girl some karate moves in the rec room.” Stan pursed his lips, nodding fast. “Maybe you can get that girl to teach my son some of those moves. Man, she’s good. I bet no one messes up with her.”
Dario pressed door button on the panel, not allowing them to slide out. “I’ll ask her.”
He let go of the button, the elevator doors closed and slowly climbed to his penthouse.
Jasmin stood in the middle of the living room, the coffee table pushed against the wall. She demonstrated some awkward karate moves to her mom and dad. “Watch this. Ella taught me.”
Martina clapped but flashed an angry look at Ante. “Excellent.”
“She’s a fast learner.” Ella turned to Jasmin and extended her hand. “Now, show me Dario’s pictures.”
“Don’t get mad about this. It’s good for Jasmin to know a few of these moves. With a bit I’ve taught her, she’d remember how to break free if…” Ante cleared his throat and squeezed Martina’s shoulder. “I meant to ask you if you could stay with your folks on the island for a few days. Or weeks.”
“Why?” Her scowl drew her eyebrows together. “What about my work?”
“I’ll talk to your boss. The fire in our restaurant, we believe it was set deliberately.”
She leaned backward. “Who’d do such thing?
What the hell is going on here?”
Irena sat on the armrest of the chair opposite Martina. “The man who is after me and Ella doesn’t care who he’ll have to destroy to get to us. It would be wise if you disappeared from the city.”
Martina chewed on her lower lip while rubbing her chin. “I remember you from the high school. You and Dario were the most popular couple. Then you vanished and left him broken in spirit. He boarded the ship to forget you. Did you come back to destroy him again? I took care of these boys after their parents died. They were lost.”
“It wasn’t like that. You’re making a terrible assumption.” Ante pulled her close to him. “Take
Jasmin and go. For the safety of both of you.”
Martina’s face paled. She glared at Irena. “Look what dragged here behind you. It’s a big world. Couldn’t you go someplace else?”
Her words stung Dario’s core and at the same time rooted him to the spot. Damn it, Martina could lash out some harsh words. “It’s—”
“Martina!” Ante snapped before Dario could finish. “Apologize. Irena has every right to be here. This is her home.”
Irena got to her feet and approached “It’s okay. No need for apologies.” She smiled at Martina. “Ante is right. It’s the safest if you leave for a while. Let us deal with this. Ella and I are trained in martial arts and can protect ourselves…for now.”
Dario’s cell vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned at the unknown caller ID, but he recognized Irena’s old number. He handed the phone to her. “This may be for you. Do you want to answer it?”
She stared at the ringing phone in his hand. “You answer it.”
Dario pressed the talk button and placed the mobile to his ear. “Hello.”
A woman’s sobbing came through, coupled with the heavy breathing.
“Is that you, Mrs. Novak?” A premonition knotted Dario’s guts.
“I know Irena’s there. Let me talk to her.” Mrs. Novak’s teary voice cut his hope that the caller had called a wrong number.
“It’s your mother.” He passed the cell to Irena, shaking his head at her raised eyebrows.
She took it and, in slow-motion, raised the device
to her ear. “How did you get this number?” She tapped her foot on the floor. “Ana? No, she was never my friend. Why are you calling?”
Ana, the traitor. Anger flared in Dario. What did Fred buy her for this?
“I told you this moment would come the day the two of you tore me from Dario for good. Still, you think I’d care, after everything he’s done.” Irena pressed the end button, lowered her arm even slower, and her face went blank. “My dad was rushed to the hospital, again. This time, I’m afraid, he won’t come out alive.”